Wallabies coach Robbie Deans. AAP Image/Julian Smith
There couldn’t be two more different Wallaby coaches over the years than Alan Jones and Robbie Deans. Jones, motivational, excitable, volatile, intense, highly-successful with a 76.67% win record, including the Wallabies only Grand Slam in 1984, and capturing the Bledisloe Cup on Kiwi soil for the first time in 1986.
Deans reserved, measured in public, privately calculating, not as successful as he deserves to be at 55.6%, no Bledisloe or Tri-Nations silverware, but an eye on this RWC.
Chalk and cheese, alright. But not when it comes to Eden Park.
Jones was the last Wallaby coach to win at the fortress in 1986; Deans has his sights set on breaking the 25-year hoodoo-drought.
“What hoodoo-drought?” roared Jones two years ago. “There’s no such thing. That’s absolute tripe.
“You have to get that out of your head.”
Deans’ troops turned up on July 18, 2009, and were duly beaten 22-16 to continue whatever Alan wants to call the losing streak.
One thing is for sure, it hasn’t been a “W.” And this time the “W” will be even more meaningful than most.
It will be the last All Black-Wallabies head-to-head at the famous ground before a potential Rugby World Cup final confrontation on October 23.
Morale-boosting, bragging rights, brinkmanship, and brownie points will all be up for grabs, leaving Saturday night’s winner sitting pretty come October.
Far more so for the Wallabies.
To break that whatever Alan calls it would be priceless, especially after sneaking the last-minute 26-24 win in Hong Kong last October that would give the Wallabies two successive wins over their arch rivals after losing the previous 10.
Which begs the question: can the Wallabies win on Saturday night?
Yes, providing lock Dan Vickerman doesn’t start. That Deans selection has a huge question mark over it. Three years away from the big time is a “lifetime”.
Can the Wallabies win the RWC?
Yes, providing hooker Tatafu Polata-Nau, prop James Slipper, No 8 Wycliff Palu, utility back Berrick Barnes, and winger Drew Mitchell are on duty. The huge bonus would be prop Benn Robinson, no chance a month ago, a rough chance now.
The final 30-man Wallaby World Cup squad will be announced after the clash with the All Blacks at Suncorp on August 27. And the countdown will start.
But it’s worthwhile finishing this column with the quotes from Alan Jones in 1986, remembering rugby was still in its amateur days and every Wallaby had a job.
“That was tough, they don’t do it today. We toured. We didn’t just arrive on a plane and play a match.
“We had to get belted up every Saturday and Wednesday, and then had to win two Tests out of three.
“We must have done something right as no one has done it since”.
Best summed up by Wallaby backrow legend Simon Poidevin: “I can now die a happy man”.
AdamS
Guest
lol
p.Tah
Guest
.... Or the press have asked him 'how much better are you than Henry?'... And he said 'this much'
AdamS
Guest
Westy, silly man, he is showing how he is going to hold Bill up for the cameras when they land back in Sydney.
kiwis hate the pressure of WC
Guest
Of course you would prefer consistency between world cups Trevor DeAngelo...you're a kiwi!!! However , I bet if the AB's ever go on to actually win a WC ('87 does't count of course as it was just a warm up ;) I am certain that belief would change. Is it just chance that the majority of sports across the world hold an event every 4 years aimed to prove who is the best? WC winners are usually the team who handle the pressure best...and don't choke
jeremy
Guest
"a school teacher leading them" - you mean like Craig Pollock, Jacques Villeneuve's manager, and the CEO of the Honda BAR F1 team?
AdamS
Guest
You mean what club or subbie has he promoted? None that I'm aware of but he has been a big force in taking young Super players who showed promise. Slipper comes to mind as far from cemented as a Super player when deans picked him, he and a number of players went through the year having played more tests than super 15 games, that can't help but feed back into their respective clubs selection thoughts.
Shaun
Guest
Uncoachable players are a double-edged sword. Case in point: Carlos Spencer.
Shaun
Guest
Disgraceful? Not even just "inappropriate"? Sweet!
AdamS
Guest
You say this "(I would agree that the homophobic comments are unacceptable however)." and I think this is the only thin being complained about but then perpetuate it below?
jus de couchon
Guest
You cant coach talent like a Campese or Cooper. A good coach is someone like a Formula 1 racing driver who has the fastest car. The winning is there if you dont mess up. The ABs have a Red Bulls Engine with a school teacher leading them .
Jason Cave
Guest
Hoodoos can be broken-after all, just ask the Scots skippered by Gavin Hastings after defeating France in Paris in the 1995 Five Nations match in Paris-Scotland's first win over the French in Paris since 1969. When the Scots won, a full pipe band emerged playing 'Flower of Scotland.'
jameswm
Guest
Drew starts on the wing if JOC plays 12.
niwdEyaJ
Guest
McCalman also appears to be a Deans project - would prefer to see Samo or Higginbotham given a shot instead though...
Bakkies
Guest
James Boag didn't help the Brumbies this season. Since they stopped the Coffs Harbour base they need to move around the country
AussieKiwi
Guest
And as far as 'pinning against the legal wall' is concerned, remember truth is a defence to a defamation claim!
Trevor DeAngelo
Guest
Jiggles have you seen the stats. Here they are for 2008 http://www.irb.com/rankings/archive/year=2008.html and 2009 http://www.irb.com/rankings/archive/year=2009.html Allblacks and Boks constantly 1st and 2nd in world rankings. They played some great rugby after the world cup. I remember it because we all expected a huge drop in AllBLacks standards after the mass exodous to Europe straight after word cup (howlett Hayman etc) but were pleasantly surprised to see them play some great rugby and by the end of 08 consistently had the no 1 ranking again..
Trevor DeAngelo
Guest
As a kiwi I would far prefer to constantly win between world cups and lose the cup every four years. Consistency at the top of the irb ratings http://www.irb.com/rankings/index.html really does show the most consistent teams. I am not saying its not great to win the world cup because it is...but great teams win constantly. We play all the top teams every year anyway with the tri nation and NH tours and it shows the rightful pecking order.
Who Needs Melon
Guest
I'd rather not thank you David. There are enough nutcases out there to deter me from giving out any personal details. I'm actually calling for these posts to be removed. I don't see how The Roar can allow posts that are openly abusive like this. No matter how much I might agree or disagree.
Ben S
Roar Guru
'Martin Johnson – England coach/manager – wasn’t even consulted (about the alternate colour scheme)? Are you also saying the RFU, which is supposed to run English rugby, wasn’t aware of the situation?' No. I am saying that Johnson was not involved. Why? Because I guess he didn't care. Know your facts.
sheek
Guest
Thanks Handles, I honestly think the ABs of 1974-75 were much better than people give them credit for. In fact, this is part of the reason why they beat Wales in my fantasy 1975 final - the Welsh under-estimated them & anyway, were too cocky after winning in 1971. The ABs standouts were Bryan Williams, Bruce Robertson, Grant Batty, Sid Going, Ian Kirkpatrick, Peter Whiting & Tane Norton. But they appeared a united team. They were well led by Andy Leslie & had an excellent kicker in Joe Karam, while flyhalf Duncan Robertson was a clever tactician. And as we've seen from the fair dinkum world cups, you can't ignore the human factor of emotion getting in the way, either positively or negatively! I agree Wales in 1975 were awesome, certainly on a par with 1971. I find it extremely difficult to separate the two versions. 1971 had Barry John & 1975 had Phil Bennett. 1975 had the Pontypool front row of Price, Windsor & Faulkner, but 1971 had John Taylor & Dai Morris as flankers. And on it goes..... Do you want to know how the 1983 final panned out? This is what happened in the 1983 final: Regular half-time 16-16; Regular full-time 25-25; Extra-time half-time 28-28; Extra-time full-time France 35-34! It was, & remains the the greatest world cup match in history (!!!!!), better even than the 1987 semi-final between the same two teams, & many of the same players. Both sides scored 4 tries apiece, incredible for a game of such significance. But in the end, France's 4 tries, 2 conversions, 3 penalties & 2 drops, bested Australia's return of 4 tries, 3 conversions, 2 penalties & 2 drops. Note 4 point tries. One thing about the Wallabies - they lost two world cup finals in 1983 & 2003, but they did the next best thing by pushing the ultimate winner until the last minute of extra-time!!! FRANCE 1983 - Blanco, Laguisquet, Sella, Codorniou, Esteve, Lescaboura, Gallion(vc), Joinel, Rives(c), Rodriguez, Condom, Lorieux, Paparemborde, Dintrans, Dospital. Bench: Lafond, Camberabero, Berbizier, Erbani, Garuet, Dubroca. AUSTRALIA 1983 - Gould, Campese, O'Connor, Slack, Moon, M.Ella(c), P.Cox, Loane(vc), Roche, Poidevin, Williams, Hillhouse, McIntyre, Ross, D'Arcy. Bench: Glen Ella, Hawker, Parker, Tuynman, Harding, McBain.